Favorite Girl
by okabe-angel
Summary: "You really have a gift. I'm your number 1 fan!" Before leaving town, she said those words to him: a poor guy singing in an alley. Now he is a famous singer/song-writer whose breakthrough album had sold 100,000 copies in its first week in Japan, wishing that she'd see him again: a global superstar who has fallen in love with her...
1. A Guy With His Guitar

Disclaimer: I do not own CCS and any of its characters. I just own the plot.

**Favorite Girl – Chapter 1: "A Guy With His Guitar"**

**::**

_I'm Sakura Kinomoto. I'm just an average teenager. Emerald eyes, auburn hair. Nothing special in my life, except that I have very wonderful parents. They are like angels to me. They're not super rich, but who cares? My family is perfect. They love and care about me so much, that even though I have neither brother nor sister, I never feel lonely at home._

_School? Well, whatever happens in school is not as good as home. I'm not like the popular girls in school. I like to make friends, but it seems that they always find something funny to say about me. And since my father's job revolves around the oil and gas industry and more like a field job, my family frequently move from one small town to another, that I barely make friends._

_Oh, and ever heard that new students are desired objects to be bullied? Well, that happened to me a lot of time. Maybe that made me an introvert person, who prefers spending time with a piece of paper and crayons, making some random drawings, to having some chit chats with other students. Well, I can't complain about that. I want to go to some art school once I graduate later, that's what I've been dreaming of._

:: Tomoeda. 2012. ::

"Happy birthday!"

It was Saturday, and the girl just woke up, still yawning and rubbing her eyes. "Huh?" A confused look on her face, she saw her parents stepping into her room, carrying a chocolate cake with candles. She was totally surprised. Yes, it was a very happy birthday cake, since she had just turned 15.

"Happy birthday, sweetheart!" Nadeshiko Kinomoto smiled sweetly at her daughter, hugging her as she sat up on her bed.

"Happy birthday, cherry blossom." Fujitaka Kinomoto brought the birthday cake closer to her face. "It's time for you to make a wish." He raised his brow playfully.

"Oh, God! I forgot that today's my birthday!" Sakura exclaimed, slapping herself on the forehead. Her parents laughed. "Oh, God. I just turned 15 and I already forget things. What if I turned 50?" she said, panicking, scowling at herself.

"Doesn't matter now, birthday girl. It means that we've managed to surprise you," Nadeshiko said, kissing her on the forehead. Sakura hugged her back tightly.

"So, the wish?" Fujitaka repeated, making Sakura turned to her cake with a big grin on her face. She closed her eyes, clasped her hands in front, and muttered something in her heart, so serious that it made her parents look at each other and wonder. When she finished making her wish, she blew the candles and her mother clapped.

"Mind telling me what you were wishing for?" Nadeshiko asked, curious.

"Nah, it's a secret." Sakura stuck out her tongue playfully, making her parents sigh.

"Whatever it is, honey, I hope that it will come true," Fujitaka said.

"Thank you, mom, dad. You guys are the best!" she said joyfully and giggled, hugging both Nadeshiko and Fujitaka in one blow.

Nadeshiko patted her back and said, "Now let's eat the cake outside. But first, you've to clean up yourself. Come on, sleepyhead."

"Okay, okay," Sakura groaned and got up from her bed to do what her mother had told her, heading to the bathroom to take a shower.

::

"Wow, that was yummy," Sakura said as she finished her plate, putting her fork down. The three of them were sitting at the table in the kitchen, eating the cake. "Mom, I really need to learn this from you."

"See? I told you my dear, you're the best," Fujitaka agreed, not able to stop himself from putting another slice on his plate.

Nadeshiko blushed at their compliments. "Oh, shut up, you two." She chuckled. "Anyways, how's school so far?" she asked Sakura, who was still not taking her eyes off her comic book on the table.

"School's fine," Sakura answered shortly.

Nadeshiko shifted in her seat, and Fujitaka already knew where this conversation was going. "Fine? Any exciting news?" Nadeshiko asked again.

"Uh—huh." Sakura just shook her head, still not giving her full attention.

"Any—" Nadeshiko coughed before saying, "Any guys you've been close to so far?"

This question made Sakura drop her comic book and look at her in disbelief.

"Nadeshiko…" Fujitaka said warningly, and Nadeshiko just looked at her husband and daughter in defense.

"What? I'm just asking!" she blurted out.

"No, mom." A short answer again from Sakura, and she focused again on her comic book.

"It's not yet the time for her," Fujitaka said firmly.

"I got together with you when I was in high school," Nadeshiko pointed out.

"You were in your senior year, darling. She's still a junior," he argued.

"Well, if you had been smart enough, you would have noticed that I already had a crush on you when I was in the 10th grade!"

Fujitaka got speechless for a few seconds, openmouthed, and said, "You did?"

Nadeshiko growled in frustration, hating herself for spilling the information. She got up from her chair awkwardly and opened the refrigerator to take out some drinks, while Fujitaka roared in laughter.

"You did?" he repeated, amused.

"….We're running out of ice," Nadeshiko informed in a flat tone as she looked inside the refrigerator, ignoring him.

Before Fujitaka could respond, Sakura had already got up from her chair, grabbing her jacket, and said, "I'll go." It was an excuse for her to escape the conversation.

"No, birthday girl, I—" Fujitaka got up from his chair too, but Sakura cut him off.

"Dad! I'll go get the ice," she insisted. Sometimes, she thought that he spoiled her too much. "Bye, lovebirds," she said playfully, grinning, and walked off to the door.

"Sakura, I'm not finish—" Nadeshiko's sentence was cut off when Fujitaka circled his arms around her waist.

"So, what about that 10th grade story?" he asked, making her blush.

::

Sakura walked along the street, inhaling the fresh air and liking the smell of it. Spring had just begun and it was her favorite weather, not too cold and not that hot.

She wanted to laugh thinking about her parents' behaviors. It was the kind of relationship she wanted to have with someone: never growing out of love. Her parents were perfect. Maybe that was the reason why she hadn't found anyone until now. It was because she wanted it to be like her parents, when in fact that kind of love didn't just come before you. It was one in a million, she realized.

Humming, she sped up her pace, when something caught her ears. Distantly, she heard a melody. Someone was singing.

She turned her head to an alley on her left and walked into it. As she stepped further, the sound became clearer. Curious, she went further inside, her kickers stepping slowly on the ground as she tried to locate the source of the sound.

When she almost reached the end of the alley, she turned right to another path and found a guy sitting on the ground with his guitar.

Chestnut hair, amber eyes. A guy, with his raspy voice, was singing. His fingers expertly moved against the strings of the guitar, creating a well oscillation of melody. His voice was so captivating, perfectly tuned, and his music made her want to cry. It was beautiful, flowing right into her heart.

He was beautiful. How she wanted to draw the scene before her and turned it into a masterpiece.

Hearing footsteps, the guy suddenly looked up and was taken aback when he saw her. He immediately stopped what he was doing and pushed his back against the wall; the melody vanished as silence crept back.

"Hey, don't stop," Sakura told him, not wanting him to end the song.

"I'm sorry. I was just—" The guy looked troubled and ashamed.

"No, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to interrupt you." She felt guilty, approaching him.

"It was just a piece of crap. Sorry. I didn't know that someone was actually coming here." The guy tried to fix the awkward atmosphere, rubbing the back of his head in frustration, making his hair messy.

Sakura bent down to him, disbelief in her eyes. "Are you kidding? You're calling that a piece of crap? Are you crazy? That was the most beautiful thing I've ever heard!" she told him right away.

The guy looked at her in amazement. "What? You sure?" he asked blankly.

"I'm more than sure!" she answered, sitting down in front of him, her arms hugging her knees. "Whose song was it?" she asked, having loved it already the moment she heard it.

"…Well… It's kinda thing I wrote myself," he muttered, looking down, and her eyes widened in shock.

"Oh my God! You wrote that?" she nearly shouted.

"Yeah," he answered in a low voice, before looking at her again and asked, "Did you…..like it?"

Sakura's jaw dropped hearing that. "Like it? I LOVE it! It's amazing!" she said truthfully.

He laughed seeing her reaction. "You know, it seems like you're exaggerating too much."

"I'm not!" she stated, feeling like pulling out his hair for not realizing how much talent he had. "Have you had anybody listen to that before?"

He shook his head. "Nah. Nope. Never."

"Why?" Now she knew why he didn't get it. No one had ever given him any feedback before.

"Well, I kinda write music for myself. When I felt like it, and I just couldn't contain it, I just came here, and sang my heart out," he explained, and wondered why he even told her about that. It wasn't like he was spilling his heart out to some stranger?

"Well then, can I listen again to some of those songs? Those you claimed as accidentally written?" she asked him, more like begging.

He looked at her in disbelief, but as he saw her serious expression, he began to put his guitar back in place. "If that's what you want."

He started a song. His voice began to fill the air again, the sound of the guitar accompanying it, creating a perfect harmony.

Sakura stared at the guy in front of her, who was lost in his own world. He got lost in his own music, singing with all his heart. And it was breathtaking. His voice and his music were really good. Like, really really good.

Again, it was so beautiful that she almost cried. She wondered how it was even possible for him not to realize his own talent. She wouldn't mind sitting there listening to him all day. In fact, it was the best acoustic performance she had ever seen, better than any concert she had ever been to. And she got the VVVIP seat! She was the only audience there. Could you believe that? How great was that?

He finally finished the song, ending it perfectly with a final major chord played with his guitar.

"You know, I think you should start letting people hear your voice," Sakura spoke her mind, surprising him. "If you keep that to yourself, how will other people reach it?"

"Do you think that it's important for other people to hear my music?" was the question that left his lips as he still tried to get her point. "I mean, I live with my mom in a small apartment nearby, and I haven't even had her hear me out."

"Well, you should have! She would have supported you. You really have a gift, you know," she told him matter-of-factly. "And yes, it's important for other people to reach your music. You may have done something wonderful to them, like you'd done to me just now. Hearing that just brightened my day," she told him all she was feeling inside, which flattered him.

He was lost for words. "….wow. Thanks. It means so much to me."

"You're most welcome." She smiled at him before suggesting, "So, why don't you try to do it tomorrow?"

He was taken aback, and laughed. "You don't have to be so excited."

"Of course I am! I'm your number one fan!" she claimed herself, and he was moved by her honesty.

"Roger that." He smiled. "Only if you come with me." He looked into her eyes which were full of life.

"Sure!" She giggled happily and lifted her pinky finger in front of his face. "I promise."

He chuckled at her cuteness, before linking his pinky finger with hers. "Thanks, my number one fan….?" he purposely asked her name by raising his tone.

"Oh! I'm Sakura. Nice to meet you." She grinned. "And you are…?"

"I'm Syaoran," he answered, his eyes filled with determination. "Syaoran Li."

_It was my 15__th__ birthday, and I had made a wish that day._

_'Dear God, please keep my parents in happiness always. And please, let me find someone who I can share my happiness with. Let him be the one I will look for when I am in joy, and the one I will turn to when I am in sorrow. Let him be my strength, hope, and courage, and let me be his. _

_My special someone. My other half.'_

_And little did I know that it wouldn't be just another wish._


	2. Courage to Give

Thank you my reviewers: Sujene, James Birdsong, Fashion Fairy 26, Star197, Stlaguero, Yggdra, ryoyuudai, Mixku. You're all awesome!

Disclaimer: I do not own CCS and any of its characters. I just own the plot.

**Favorite Girl – Chapter 2: "Courage to Give"**

**::**

_I'm Syaoran. I live with my mother in a small apartment at the downtown of Tomoeda. Yeah, just the two of us. She raised me alone as a single mother ever since she was still very young. She had me when she was 17. Can't you imagine that? She had me when she was at my age now! I have no idea how she could survive that._

_She is a strong woman despite the fact that people keep sneering at her, wondering why she has a child with no father. That's right. Something happened in the past. I don't know why I haven't even met my father until now, but I know for sure that he's not dead. Even if he left us, my mother still doesn't have the heart to lie to me that he is dead. She had once showed me a picture of him, but I had no interest in finding him. I had given up asking my mother about him when I was 9. It doesn't matter now whether he's still alive or not. He __**left **__us. He left his wife and his son._

_Most of the people around us think that my birth was an accident, that my parents had committed a sin. Even the kids around me thought the same, that I ended up not so successful in making friends. And that's when music came into my life. Music saved me. When I'm caught up in it, all other things, other matters in this damn world just fade away. It would be just me and my guitar._

_Now I live my life for my mother. I've had enough of seeing her crying alone in her room when everything gets rough. I want to make her happy and give her everything even though I may not be able to return all that she has given me._

_As for today, I have no idea why my legs keep bringing me closer to that person, the girl I just met yesterday, but it just seems like it's a thing I have to do._

::

Sakura was leaning on her back against the wall when she noticed Syaoran walking up to her from the street. "You came!" she said excitedly as he approached her.

"Yeah, we've made a promise. You think?" Syaoran threw her a rhetorical question and smirked.

"Great! Cause I almost thought that I was fooling myself thinking that you would come." She laughed. "And you brought your guitar," she added, pointing at his guitar slung across his back.

"Yeah, since someone has already claimed herself as my number one fan, I can't let her down," he joked, making her blush.

She looked away to hide her crimson face and turned her back at him, walking along the pavement, and he followed her.

"So, what are you trying to do to me today?" he asked, catching up with her, his hands in his pockets.

She glanced up at him as she walked beside him. God, she had been right since yesterday: he was kinda…handsome. She immediately pushed her thought away and answered shortly, "You'll see."

A moment later, she halted in front of a school gate. It was Sunday, but there were still some people coming in and out of the school because there was a festival going on.

"So, here it is!" she stated.

Syaoran looked around in disbelief and blurted out, "Here!? You're kidding me!" he protested. They looked at each other and when he saw the big smile on her face, he knew that she had planned it. "You're not?"

"You've pinky promised me," she reminded him.

Okay, he didn't expect that they would arrive in front of a school packed with students when he made that promise. Moreover…

"Don't you think that here is too much? Besides, this is MY school, in case you haven't known," he objected.

Her eyes widened in surprise. "That's even better!" she pointed out.

"No, it's not—"

"It is!" she insisted. "You said that you would let people hear your music. Now, this is the time!"

"But I—"

She glared at him, and he had to admit that it didn't turn out scary, but cute.

"You planned to kill me…" He shook his head, sighing in frustration.

"No, I plan to help you out!" she told the truth. "Please," she begged.

"Well, I—"

"For your number one fan?" she brought that up now, attacking him with puppy eyes. "You wouldn't let her down, right?"

Syaoran groaned. "…fine," he finally muttered, thinking how crazy he was for dragging himself to do what she wanted in the first place. Now, he had to perform a live music, which he had never showed to anybody else before except her, in front of his school. That was quite… phenomenal! He started to pull out his guitar from the case, and Sakura squealed in delight.

"Hold on." She quickly grabbed something out from her bag while he tuned up his guitar, and his eyes widened in shock when he looked at her recording cam. "Action!" she said, starting to record him immediately.

"What are you doing?" He almost dropped his guitar.

"Recording you. You're gonna thank me later. Believe me." She laughed as she saw his horrified expression.

"Sakura…" he warned, putting a dangerous look.

"Oh! I'm recording it already. Surely, you don't want your future fans to see that," she joked. "So, here we go! Ladies and gentlemen, today we're going to witness the debut solo performance of the talented singer, and soon to be rising star, the one and only…Syaoran Li! Woo-hoo!" she announced, making him want to run away from that place that instant.

People began to notice the two of them as they passed by, murmuring.

"I hope that you don't think of me as your most annoying fan," Sakura said.

"Well, I'm afraid you are," Syaoran said dryly, and chuckled when she pouted.

"So, please introduce yourself. Name? Syaoran Li. Age?" she asked, zooming in him.

"…17," he answered awkwardly, trying to look away from the camera at first, but then looking at it with a nervous smile on his face.

"From?" she kept going, torturing him.

"Tomoeda."

"Syaoran Li, 17, from Tomoeda. So, what songs are you gonna perform today?" she asked.

"Come on. This is not an interview!" he growled under his breath, trying to push the camera away with his hand, but Sakura expertly backed off, laughing.

"What songs?" she repeated, amused.

"Some songs."

People began to watch them, wondering what the hell they were doing. What weirdos.

"Did you write them yourself?"

"…yeah."

"So, what's the title of the first song you're gonna sing?"

Syaoran went silent for a moment, one hand on his guitar's fret while the other one clutching at the other end. His hands were sweaty, his breath caught up in his throat.

Would he ever be able to do it? What if they didn't like his music? What if they didn't appreciate what he had been working on? What if his music couldn't reach them? And music had been so important to him, that he would be really crushed if he failed now.

Sakura looked at him seriously and said it with her eyes, 'You can do it. Trust me.'

Feeling her faith in him, he began to gather the courage inside him. Before, he had never had anyone hear his voice yet. But yesterday, she had heard him. And he was glad to know that she liked his music, even more, she treasured it, to the point that she was willing to do something like this for him.

And he wanted to know what other people would think. Would they love it as well? He needed to know the answer. He was curious to know the answer. And this was the time to prove it, to prove that what he had been working on, the music of his life, was worth more than being undiscovered.

"The first song I'm gonna sing is called Broken Angel." It was the song he wrote when he thought about his mother.

Sakura smiled as she saw him already bracing himself. "Shall we hear it, then?" she said, feeling her heart beating faster. Why should she get nervous too when he was the one performing? But she just couldn't help it! It was as if she could feel being in his state.

Syaoran took a deep breath, before starting to play the melody of the intro with his guitar. And then he opened his mouth as he started to sing, so that everybody could hear him out.

Now, all eyes were on him, ears catching the sound of his amazing voice. Footsteps stopped short as the people around them trapped in the breathtaking scene.

And suddenly all of his worries were swept away. The world faded in the background. It was just him and his guitar.

Who cared if they didn't like his music? Who cared if they didn't want to listen to him? All that mattered was that he loved singing. He would always do, and nothing or no one could take it away from him. And now, he was lost in that precious little world once more.

"Hey, isn't that Li?"

Sakura could hear some students shouting as they noticed him.

"Holy shit! He can sing!?"

"He REALLY CAN SING!"

She smiled hearing his friends' comment. They gawked, struck with amazement.

Syaoran continued singing while all the students there watching him were hypnotized by his performance. His voice and his acoustic guitar sound were just perfect, leaving them breathless. When he finished the song, they all gave him a big round of applause. He was startled to hear their reaction. He looked around and noticed that a large number of audiences, filled with anticipation and excitement, had been watching him.

"We want more! We want more!" they yelled.

Sakura smiled as tears welled up in her eyes. She was really happy that Syaoran had been heard, that his music had reached other people.

_"And yes, it's important for other people to reach your music. You may have done something wonderful to them, like you'd done to me just now. Hearing that just brightened my day."_

Syaoran remembered what Sakura had said to him at their first encounter, and as much as he loved his own music, as much as he didn't care about what the world would think of it, he felt whole when he could share that kind of feeling with other people. He wasn't only doing something for himself, but for them as well.

And the feeling was great, really really great.

::

"Did you see them when I was singing the third song? They were moving along with the beat. They had so much fun listening to it! Oh, and when I sang 'On My Way', they sang along with me even though they hadn't heard the song before. They must have remembered the lyrics as I sang the chorus over and over again!" Syaoran talked animatedly as he walked Sakura home after the little concert in front of the school.

Sakura just listened to him with a smile on her face, seeing how happy he was just like a little kid who just met Santa Claus. It was almost dark when they went back from the school, and Syaoran had been talking nonstop all along the way back.

"I never thought that the street would be really packed with people that we had to move into the school so that other people could still gain access to the road, but we ended up dragging some non students into the school festival. Do you think that it was even allowable?" he asked in disbelief.

Sakura just shook her head, smiling at him.

"And did you notice the little boy who sat on his father's shoulder—" he suddenly stopped as he looked at her expression. "Sorry, I can't stop talking, right? Sorry, I'm just—" He looked up at the sky, running his hand through his messy hair. "I just can't believe it!"

Sakura walked in front of him and turned around to face him, stepping backwards, hands on her back. "But it did happen! And you deserved it," she said, her face beaming with the equal amount of happiness.

"I just—" He was lost for words. "I just never thought that they would like it so much."

She laughed at his silly sentence. "It seems like it was only you who doubted yourself," she told him. "And you must have written the songs by heart, right? And you did sing them with your heart too. It must have been because how good you were as a performer that they were able to feel the emotions as well."

Syaoran looked at her in amazement. "You don't have any idea how I'm feeling right now, Sakura," he said softly, his amber eyes filled with bliss and contentment. Little did he know that she was feeling the same.

"So, your number one fan was right, wasn't she?" she stated proudly and giggled.

He chuckled a little hearing that, before suddenly rushing up to her, hoisted and carried her over his shoulder, making her scream.

"Syaoran! Syaoran, put me down!" She laughed, hitting his back playfully.

He just laughed and kept walking, before spinning her around, earning another scream from her. When he stopped, he looked up at her, her hands on both sides of his shoulders as he lifted her. "Thank you, Sakura." He looked at her with smiling eyes as he said those words with all his heart. No one had ever showed him before how worthy his music was.

For a few seconds there, she felt her heart skipped a beat. "You're welcome!" she said. "Now, can you put me down?" she asked, and he smiled.

As he lowered her down, her face accidentally dropped to his so that their noses touched. They stayed like that for a few seconds, lost in each other's eyes, before Sakura suddenly looked away and tried to quickly pull out of his arms, although Syaoran let go of her rather reluctantly. Next, they couldn't help but stand before each other in awkward silence.

"Uh—well. We've reached my house already," she told him.

Hearing that, Syaoran looked at the house behind her, which had a green roof and was painted in peach. "Oh! Yeah." He got her point.

"You wanna come in? I think my mom just cooked dinner. You can join us."

"Oh, no it's okay. I promised my mom that I'm gonna have a dinner with her tonight," he answered, making her a bit disappointed since she still wanted to spend more time with him. Yet, her curious mother would be throwing so many questions if she saw them together and it would be slightly annoying, so maybe it wasn't that bad if he went now.

"Right. Thanks for walking me home." Sakura smiled sweetly.

"No, thanks for today." Syaoran smiled even more charmingly that she felt butterflies in her stomach. "Can I—" He looked slightly nervous as he stumbled upon his own words.

_Oh God! Is he feeling nervous too as I am!?_

"Can I see you again? I mean, can we hang out again sometime?" he finished his sentence.

And she couldn't hide another smile that crept on her face. "Of course!" she answered, and he was delighted.

"Guess I'll see you again soon then." He smiled. "Bye," was his last word before stepping backward to walk off.

"Bye," Sakura said, smiling softly, and waved her hand slightly.

He returned her smile before turning on his heels to walk off.

::

"I'm home!" Sakura said as she entered the house. When she walked to her room, she was startled to find that her mother was already in there, packing her things up.

"Oh, thank God you're home!" Nadeshiko sighed in relief.

"Mom? What are you doing with my stuffs?" Sakura asked, stepping into the room, and gawked at all the suitcases full of her stuffs and then at her half emptied room.

"Oh, honey. I know that this is just too sudden. Your dad just received a call from the head office telling him that he will be assigned as a company man for the field located near Osaka."

It needed a while for Sakura to actually get the point. _This is not happening. This can't be happening! Again!_

Her jaw dropped. "Whatttt!?"

Nadeshiko looked at her shocked expression and caressed her hair gently. "I know, honey. You must be wondering how to get all these things settled before we move out. But trust me. We will manage to do it fast, just like usual. Hm?" Nadeshiko smiled sweetly at her, having no idea what she was thinking inside her head.

Sakura must have been crazy. She must have been nuts. Because she didn't care about packing her stuffs, her departure from school, or the fact that her entire house was in total mess right now.

But she did care about leaving a guy she just met yesterday, who just walked her home that night.


	3. A Superstar

Disclaimer: I do not own CCS. I just own the plot.

**Favorite Girl – Chapter 3: "A Superstar"**

**::**

_I can't believe that I'm doing this._

It was only yesterday that Sakura's parents told her that they would move to Osaka tonight. After making a sudden announcement in school this morning that today would be her last day, not that anyone cared about that, and settling all the administration stuffs, she had rushed to CLOW Records branch office. The head office was in Tokyo, but still, she was amazed that they could even have a branch office here in Tomoeda. Maybe it was because they had this business of opening a music studio for local bands in Tomoeda, which was located beside the building of CLOW Records office itself.

She took a deep breath as she stood there nervously in front of the building, holding a CD tightly in her hand. Yes, it was the recording of Syaoran's performance yesterday. She had spent the whole night doing some minor video editing and finishing packing her stuffs at the same time. She had barely enough sleep! But now that she had come here, there was no turning back. She had to do what she _had _to do.

She stepped on the stairs leading to the entrance, pushed the door, and went straight to the receptionist.

"Excuse me…" Sakura started.

"Yeah?" the woman in the counter asked her coldly, eyeing her just like she was some kind of another pain in the ass.

_Geez, could she be more polite?_

"Hm… Well, yeah, can I have a word with the…"

_Oh my God, I just went here so impulsively that I don't even know which person I should meet._

"You know… the producer?"

The receptionist looked at her like she was crazy. Well, maybe she was.

_Producer? Duh! Sounds like he's a God in this kind of business._

"Or, I mean… the music director." She grinned sheepishly. "Or, the manager."

_Whoever…_

"He's not back yet. Who are you? Do you have any appointment?" The receptionist looked at her sharply, making her gulp.

"Er… No?"

The receptionist quickly looked away from Sakura, her eyes glued back on the work she had on her desk, and she was about to open her mouth to say something.

Sakura knew just well that the receptionist was about to reject her, so she interrupted, "But I kinda have this very very important stuff that I wanna show to him—"

The receptionist threw her a death glare. Apparently, the word 'stuff' wasn't a really good choice to speak. "I'm afraid that you are not allowed to be here unless you have an appointment. You know where the exit door is."

_You know where the exit door is? At least, if she wants to kick me out, she could have used more appropriate words!_

Sakura clenched the CD tightly in her hand. She knew that she was forcing it.

_"I just never thought that they would like it so much," Syaoran said._

Yet, Syaoran's words echoed back in her mind and she just couldn't let this opportunity to slip away. He deserved better. "Please. If you let me—"

"Listen to me, kid."

_Kid? I'm fifteen! …Okay, I may not be an adult, but I'm not a kid either._

"I've already had thousands of people like you barging in to give that kind of _stuff_, but we receive no more. You understand? We're not some advertisers here," the receptionist stated firmly.

Yet, Syaoran's music was not just some _stuff_. It was the best thing she had ever heard.

"No, you don't understand. You have to see this—"

"I believe that it is apparently you who do not understand how things work here. Security!"

_Oh my, she did not just call a security! _

A guard suddenly approached Sakura and forcefully dragged her out of there.

"No! You're gonna regret this. Let me go!" She struggled to break free, but he threw her out of the building. The receptionist just shook her head in disbelief. Sakura fell on the ground and looked back as the door closed. This was the first time she experienced being kicked out by a security.

_Unbelievable! Was it that hard for one guy to get his music recognized?_

Well, now that Syaoran was probably already famous in his school, maybe it wouldn't be that hard. But still…

She sighed and sat down on the stairs, staring at the road with an empty look.

_"He's not back yet."_

What was the probability of Sakura meeting the music director or manager? He could be back in a few minutes, hours, or even worse…days! She had no idea when, but she decided to take a chance. Whether he liked it or not, he would have to go through the same door first to enter the building and he had no choice but to face her. Yawning, she glanced at her watch. 12:01 pm. Well, she still got time.

_Damn, I feel so sleepy. I really didn't get enough sleep last night. Can I sleep for a while?_

::

Sakura almost fell to the side, when she suddenly opened her eyes. She glanced again at her watch. 4:20 pm. She had slept and woken up, slept and woken up every hour and then until she had waited for almost 4 hours and a half!

She looked at the road and something caught her eyes. A black Volvo pulled in just in front of the building, and a man wearing white jacket stepped out of it. He was tall, long silver haired, blue eyed, and had this charming aura that also seemed distant and unreachable. The way he walked was like he was floating on the ground.

He was speaking on the phone, and she could hear him say, "Yeah, I've heard the song. I think we should work on it a little bit more. The rapper? No, I don't really like him. But yeah, you can take Agnes. She's perfect for this collaboration."

_You're kidding me. I have to deal with this kind of person? Oh, come on… He's already intimidating me even before I could speak anything to him._

"I'll be in Tomoeda just for a few days for this promotion thing. I expect you to handle the matters there wisely." With that said, he hung up the phone.

She rushed up to him before he could enter the building. "Wait!" She blocked his way.

He immediately halted and was startled by her bold move.

"I know that I maybe acting inappropriately, but I just have to talk to you about something really really important."

He looked at her as if saying, 'Who the hell are you daring to block my way?'

"This!" She handed him the CD. "You should see this! My friend, he's—"

"This…is what you called important?" he interrupted, his voice somehow cold.

She gulped.

_Okay. Calm down, Sakura. The starting point doesn't always turn out good, but it should not make you back off._

"Yes," she answered. "This is a performance video of my friend singing his own songs. He's really talented—"

"Listen to me, kid."

_Oh, please. Not again!_

"Do you know what kind of industry this is all about? This is not just about talent! This is business. There are many more important aspects that have to be considered for an artist to make it happen, or even to survive in this kind of world. I have thousands of that kind of recording that won't be put into any use. So, tell me, how is your friend different from them?" He looked at her sharply, arching one of his eyebrows. He then smiled at her, and even looked scarier when he did so.

"Of course he's different."

"How?"

"He's amazing!"

He rolled his eyes and ignored her, going through the door.

_Oh, damn. Stupid Sakura! I really suck at persuading people._

"Wait!"

The receptionist and security guard were startled to see Sakura barging in again. "I'm sorry, Mr. Yue. I thought that I already handled this matter earlier." The receptionist quickly stood up and apologized before glaring at her.

Sakura panicked when the guard grabbed her arms and attempted to throw her out of the building again. "Wait! You can kick me out! I won't show myself before you again. But—just see it once—" She struggled to break free and her anger rose when she saw him just walking away casually. She didn't even realize throwing the CD to him.

The receptionist, security guard, and Sakura let out a loud gasp when the CD knocked Yue's head. He winced in pain, touching his head, and turned around. Sakura could see fire in his eyes.

_Ooops…_

"…You—" Yue growled.

Sakura almost had to bite her tongue to prevent herself from apologizing. Instead, she shot him a menacing look and said, "Listen, I do know who you are and what kind of business you're dealing with. That's why I gave you that CD. You won't believe what I said until you see it with your own eyes. His name is Syaoran Li, and he's a student in Tohka High. He is one in a million, no… One in a zillion!"

Okay, she might be exaggerating right now.

"His performance just blew people's minds away and caused jam on the street yesterday. I dare you… I _dare _you_…_to throw that CD away, and you will _lose _billions of money, when it may only take a few minutes for you to realize what he got!"

Wow. She never thought that she would be able to say that out loud.

"Get—that—girl—out," Yue hissed.

The guard nodded quickly and dragged her away.

"No! You don't know what you—" She screamed when she hit the ground outside harshly.

"Don't come back again, kid," the guard warned and slammed the door close.

She panted, having released so much energy for trying to break free. Her eyes glued on the ground, she felt like pulling her hair out in frustration. So, she had just wasted 4 to 5 hours for nothing?She wanted to scream out loud.

Sighing desperately, she stood up and climbed down the stairs to the street lazily, when a car pulled in. To her surprise, it was her mother coming out from the car.

"Sakura! Where have you been!?"

Yes, she was definitely going to get yelled at.

"What are you doing here? We've been looking for you! You had me worried sick. We have to go to the airport now, honey!" Nadehisko rushed up to her and noticed her gloomy mood. "Why? What happened?" Nadeshiko asked worriedly.

Sakura just shook her head sadly, wanting to laugh at herself for trying to do such a useless thing.

::

"Osaka is truly a wonderful city! Oh, I can't wait to live there. You will like it too, Sakura. There are a lot of shopping places as well. We should go there often!" Nadehisko said excitedly, yet received no response from Sakura.

Sakura just sat silently at the backseat of the car, looking outside the window with an empty look, resting her chin on her palm. Even though Nadeshiko had asked Sakura various times to go shopping together, she should have known that Sakura wasn't really into shopping. Had she forgotten that?

Nadeshiko exchanged worried looks with Fujitaka, who was driving, and continued, "Oh, and you will make new friends too. So, don't put that frown, honey."

Sakura sighed softly, thinking about what her mother had just said. Friends? She wasn't really that capable of making friends either. A new student a couple of times, she got bullied. Most of the students found an introvert new student like her as an object to mock. Plus, she admitted that she was kind of weird. They saw her with her drawing sketches most of the time.

Suddenly, a figure on the street caught her eyes. Messy chestnut haired, tanned skin guy with a guitar slung across his back was walking along the street, a happy smile on his face.

_Syaoran!_

She pressed her face on the window as the car kept speeding off and passed him, remembering the last sentence he had said yesterday:

_"Can I see you again? I mean, can we hang out again sometime?"_

He was indeed walking to her house, looking so excited to meet her again. She turned to watch him through the back window, and tears welled up in her eyes. It was so sad to leave him now without saying goodbye. She had been really happy to be friends with him. She had never had a close friend in Tomoeda before.

_I'm sorry that we didn't have any chance to meet up again._

_Goodbye, Syaoran Li._

::

::

:: Two years later ::

::

::

High pitch screams echoed in the hall as the biggest star in Japan appeared on the stage. The lights were shot at him and his dancers while the beat of the song was pumped up through the sound system. The stage then lifted him up as he started to sing his latest single which had just charted as Number 1 on Japan's Billboard Hot 100. Girls screamed even more hysterically when his voice filled the hall.

As the song moved to chorus, the stage moved down and he began to mingle with his dancers, dancing along with them with such energetic moves. They moved in harmony, making all the audiences watch in awe.

"What's up, Tokyooooooo"

The audiences screamed loudly when the superstar called them.

Syaoran Li, age 19, now the most famous person in Asia and a global superstar. Still with the same unruly chestnut hair and piercing amber eyes, he was the same guy who had sung alone, unrecognized, at an alley in a small town called Tomoeda. Yet now, with what he had been working on in the past two years, he was performing in the most phenomenal concert hall in Tokyo. And he, with a voice that could make any girl's heart melt, had created the biggest fan base in Asia. Signed to CLOW Records recording contract, he had released a breakthrough album that had sold 100,000 copies in its _first week_ in Japan.

A huge round of applause was given when the superstar finished his song, still panting due to the fact that he had put so much energy in his performance.

"I've never seen anything like that!" the host could barely speak, amazed and speechless. "Look at the crowds! They're crazy."

Syaoran just smiled slightly hearing that, and then opened his mouth to say, "Yeah, I just wanna thank all my fans here. They're amazing. You're amazing, guys. I love you all."

Now the fans screamed even louder that it could break the ears.

"Did you like it?" Syaoran asked and laughed charmingly when they roared loud enough to create an earthquake.

The host wished that Syaoran hadn't said that for the response could destroy the hall. "So, Syaoran, tell me. Now you're on tour. Tell me about it."

"Yeah, I'm on my tour for this album 'New World'. It starts here in Tokyo and I'm coming to other cities as well. This tour will end around April, so…" He turned to the camera and said, "I hope you guys already have the tickets before they're all sold out."

The host laughed hearing that and commented, "Well, I'm sure that all the _wolfers _out there already got the tickets. So, tell me about the wolfers, Syaoran. How—how did that name even come up?"

The audiences went crazy again, and the host turned to them.

"Well, I should ask you guys, shouldn't I? Not him?"

Syaoran laughed. "Well, I suppose that it came up from my name. My name was originated from Chinese, Xiao Lang, which means little wolf."

::

Sakura looked up at the big screen on the building before her, standing near the crossroads at the heart of Osaka; a smile crept on her lips. The big screen was airing one of Syaoran's performances in Tokyo a few months ago.

_You're doing great, Syaoran Li._

Well, it turned out that the hard-headed manager, Yue, wasn't that hard-headed. He did listen to what she had said after kicking her out.

_I'm really glad that you're doing great now._

It was such a great morning to begin with, and she walked again joyfully to face another day in school.

::

_I'm definitely going to SyaoranLi ' s concert this April 8__th__. I'm so excited! I LOVE you Syaoran! #WolferTilIDie_

A blonde haired girl smirked after posting a tweet. "Finallyyyyyyy!" she said excitedly to her two friends, and then the three of them jumped and squealed happily at the same time.

"Syaoran Li is coming to town!"

And the very first things Sakura saw when she stepped into the class this morning were three tickets to Syaoran Li's concert in Osaka as a part of his 'New World Tour', belonged to Darla, Misa, and Eva, the three wolfers in her class. They had each ticket in their hands, standing there happily before her, not realizing that they were blocking her way.

"Ohh, I just wish that Syaoran would reply to my tweet!"

"Darla, looking at the number of his followers, your chance is about 1 : 38,279,780," Misa commented.

"Oh my God, oh my God, it's one more week to go! I really can't wait! It's gonna be the best Friday night ever!" Eva squealed in excitement.

So, Syaoran was indeed coming to Osaka for his tour. This would be his first performance here, wouldn't it? Was it just Sakura or did the tickets kind of shine brightly before her eyes? She was quite curious about the ticket though, that she couldn't help but try to look at it closer.

Misa, however, noticed it. "Eeeewwww. It's sold out already, Kinomoto!"

The three of them looked at Sakura in disgust. They walked away to give her access to her desk. Well, there she was: an outcast. She put her bag on her desk and sighed, noting three things in her head:

_1. Syaoran Li is coming to town for his tour._

_2. The tickets are sold out._

_3. Do NOT mess up with wolfers' stuffs!_

::

"I'm home!" Coming back from school, Sakura stepped into her house and went straight to her room.

Something was lying on her bed, and her eyes widened in shock.

Replay: was it just Sakura or did the tickets kind of shine brightly before her eyes? Yes, there were tickets to Syaoran's concert on April 8th on her bed. The difference was that there were two tickets instead of three like she had seen earlier in class. She rubbed her eyes, thinking that she might need a pair of glasses for her sight.

"Happy birthday!"

She jumped hearing her parents' voices. She turned around to find them on her doorway with a big grin on each of their faces.

"Happy birthday, my dear!" Nadeshiko approached her and embraced her in a warm, tight hug.

"Happy 17th birthday, my cherry blossom." Fujitaka hugged her too, but she was still speechless.

Again, she had forgotten about her own birthday! But, before that…

"Mom? What were lying on my bed?" she asked like she was blind.

Nadeshiko held Sakura's shoulders gently, looking at Sakura with smiling eyes. "Oh, honey, we always knew that you like listening to his songs. So, we had bought the tickets to his concert here a few months ago before it was sold out, but we decided to keep it as a secret for your birthday!" she told Sakura happily, before adding, "We bought two tickets so that you can go with your cousin, Tomoyo."

Sakura stared at her parents with open mouth. They seemed very happy that they were able to surprise her again. Well, they had always been successful in doing that, hadn't they?

.

Thanks to: Fashion Fairy 26, egi, Catrina7077, michan-natsu, Guest, Seara A, nekoneko, Chopin Etude, yingfa07, humbleblossom, Star197, Spaz-attack101, cmolinadelgado, Mixku, Skyfull360.


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